IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 453 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States 

Government should provide additional relief and assistance to the island 

of Dominica. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 

Ms. PLASKETT (for herself, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. ENGEL, and Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the United States Government should provide additional 

relief and assistance to the island of Dominica. 

Whereas Tropical Storm Erika brought calamitous flooding, 

damage, and wreaked havoc to the island of Dominica on 

August 27, 2015; 

Whereas Tropical Storm Erika sustained winds of 50 mph 

and gusts up to 65 mph and dumped over 15 inches (38 

centimeters) of rain on the mountainous island; 

Whereas the population of the island of Dominica is about 

72,000 people; 


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•HRES 453 IH 

Whereas during a televised address, Dominica Prime Minister 

Roosevelt Skerrit said Hurricane Erika set the nation’s 

developmental progress back 20 years, as hundreds of 

homes and multiple other structures were destroyed; 

Whereas Tropical Storm Erika whipped the island of Dominica for more than 5 hours on Wednesday, bringing 

strong winds and a torrent of intense rain that provoked 

flooding and landslides; 

Whereas Tropical Storm Erika has caused Dominica to be set 

back 20 years in the damage inflicted by the storm; 

Whereas Tropical Storm Erika washed away bridges and numerous roads and left several communities cut off from 

the rest of the island; 

Whereas Tropical Storm Erika has left infrastructural damages estimated at $612,700,000 and 371 houses have 

been destroyed in a population of approximately 72,000 

people; 

Whereas according to the Government of the Commonwealth 

of Dominica, clean-up is currently estimated at 

$12,000,000; 

Whereas cost of reconstruction of tourism infrastructure is 

estimated at $19 million and the reconstruction of 300 

homes, as well as bridges, miles of roadway and water 

systems; 

Whereas with a total reconstruction bill estimated at $300 

million and already carrying a debt burden amounting to 

80 percent of GDP; 

Whereas in response, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) provided an initial 

$50,000 through USAID to the Dominica Red Cross Society to support the local procurement of relief items; 


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•HRES 453 IH 

Whereas since then and as of September 18, it is estimated 

that a total of $165,000 of United States Government 

disaster relief assistance has been targeted to Dominica 

for additional household staples, relocation assistance, 

and other aid; and 

Whereas assessment teams from the USAID/OFDA are still 

working on the ground with the government and the 

Dominica Red Cross to assess and address additional 

needs as they surface: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the United States Government should 

3 provide additional relief and assistance to the island of 

4 Dominica. 

Æ 


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